1032——————==

True Martial Home

3921983 files? What on earth is that many?!

I was left speechless upon learning that there are over 3.9 million Reverse Root Water Mirror files. So, I asked the National Seal.

“Are you sure you found the correct ones? Are all of those the real deal?”

[Can’t determine authenticity based on current search status.]

“…Show me the ones that are closest in proximity.”

Wiying

A moment later, the National Seal conjured an image in front of me. Instead of a book, it was unexpectedly a tiny drawing. I stared at that small image, which looked like a notepad, and said.

“What is this Reverse Root Water Mirror?”

[It’s the Life of the Great Mind Cultivation of the Tired Modern Man.tyt.]

“……”

In that moment, I recalled the knowledge I learned from Professor Sima Ling about modern society.

“So, you’re saying this is a computer document?”

[That is correct.]

“You’ve found every file that contains the words Reverse Root Water Mirror.”

[That is correct.]

“Grrr…”

I was in despair, pulling my hair out.

“Damn it…. You found every file named Reverse Root Water Mirror scattered around the internet…. So, over 3.9 million, huh….”

I understood the situation. I clutched my throbbing head but realized that this was an endless battle. Who in their right mind would sit down to open over 3.9 million files? Plus, the chances that a genuine Reverse Root Water Mirror would be among them were astronomically low.

“Open the files.”

[Understood.]

I decided to go along with the charade and opened a Reverse Root Water Mirror file.

Vumm

“……”

As expected… it was nothing. Just a foundation for basic spirit cultivation and some simple breathing techniques for modern folks. And there were bizarre writings about how the author supposedly fasted for ten days at a cliff in Sichuan, leaped into a waterfall, and met a Great Being to teach the world. The latter part was filled with some nonsensical text.

“What’s the point of this…?”

It was clear that this was the work of a pseudo-cultivator. As someone who could literally shake the earth with internal power after over a hundred years of training, it just made me scoff. I felt like I wasted time.

What should I do now?

Should I just give up on Reverse Root Water Mirror…?

As I sighed deeply and clutched my head, Cho Mu-rin asked next to me.

“What are you doing?”

I sensed the voice as I returned from the spirit body to a human form. I replied bluntly to the humanoid Cho Mu-rin.

“I’m trying to find Reverse Root Water Mirror, but there are supposedly 3.9 million of them, damn it.”

“Why are there so many?”

“Because they’re internet files….”

“What’s that?”

I explained the situation to Cho Mu-rin. He pondered for a moment and then said.

“I’m not sure about the details, but can’t you set a search condition on that National Seal? Like, include files made over a thousand years ago.”

“Ah!”

“…Is this really surprising? I feel like anyone could think of that.”

Cho Mu-rin looked puzzled that I was surprised, but I ignored that and told the National Seal.

“National Seal! Add a search condition for Reverse Root Water Mirror created over a thousand years ago!”

[According to the conditions, the search result for Reverse Root Water Mirror is 0.]

“What?! You’re telling me there are none?!”

Why aren’t there any?

As I panicked, Cho Mu-rin, who was observing from the side, spoke.

“If the book was created over fourteen hundred years ago, that’s quite a long time. If it’s just a book, it wouldn’t be strange if it’s already vanished. Usually, books don’t last even five hundred years.”

“Hmm… that’s true, but…”

“Is it possible that that National Seal can’t determine if any of the 3.9 million fake ‘Reverse Root Water Mirror’ files contain genuine content?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I’m saying the original content could have been copied and could be hiding somewhere among those files. Someone could have transcribed the original content.”

“Aha!”

As I expressed my realization, Cho Mu-rin looked momentarily stunned.

“…Wait, you weren’t just acting dumb on purpose to keep me on guard, were you?”

Then Cho Mu-rin sighed heavily.

“…Sigh…. Why does the Thunder God Lineage elder seem so much more mundane? That position should be one of the greatest in the world, beyond all talents in the Thunder God Lineage.”

“……”

Is that even surprising enough to shock the lackluster Cho Mu-rin?

I gathered my thoughts and asked National Seal the question Cho Mu-rin had posed. The National Seal responded.

[The content of the original text cannot be determined. However, we can group them by similarity.]

“You mean to group similar content together.”

[That is correct. If they share over 90 percent similarity, they will be grouped as one.]

“Percent? That sounds modern, how do you know that?”

The National Seal responded as if it were obvious.

[Every time I conduct a search, I absorb real-time information from around the world. I’ve already adapted to the current era.]

“Hmmm, I see. Then, group the materials.”

Vumm

Soon, the National Seal classified the materials, resulting in about 70 groups.

“Huh? Unexpectedly low numbers.”

I expected there would be an overwhelming amount since there were over 3.9 million files, but the number was small. I examined the reason and shortly discovered it. One group contained over 2.9 million files. The group was titled Life of the Great Mind Cultivation of the Tired Modern Man.tyt.

“……”

Hmm…. I’m confused. Why in the world are there so many distributions for just one file? Is the content that popular? I tilted my head and consulted Zhu Xian, who was close by.

Upon hearing my story, Zhu Xian said.

“From what you’re saying, you must find that Reverse Root Water Mirror. It’s not part of our Tactical Forces Agent mission, so you should consult Professor Sima Ling about it.”

“Got it.”

“Professor Sima Ling will surely help you out.”

Vumm

I went to find Professor Sima Ling and shared my situation. She then asked.

“Could you show me the search results as well?”

I commanded the National Seal to share the search space with Professor Sima Ling.

“Ah, this is the legendary seal…”

Professor Sima Ling, impressed as she entered the National Seal’s space, began new searches after a while. Eventually, she said.

“Some specifics have emerged. We will gather candidates and research them in our Manga Realm. If we deploy the Great Bear Empire’s computer unit, we should have results in no more than three months.”

“Please do.”

“But try not to expect too much…. From my searches, it seems that genuine Reverse Root Water Mirrors may not exist in this era.”

“Why do you think that?”

“If the power of Reverse Root Water Mirror is as powerful as you describe, the book itself would harbor some mysterious essence. The likelihood of that essence maintaining itself when transferred to a text file or other media is… incredibly slim, right?”

“……”

Mysterious essence.

“Hmmm. That feels a little vague….”

So, I asked Professor Sima Ling.

“What do you think is the reason that the term Reverse Root Water Mirror has become so common? Do you have any guesses?”

“Well, it’s because ancient sects have entered the modern world, publicly engaging in security and various business pursuits, so names and martial arts from those sects have become familiar to the general public. The martial world is no longer a hidden one in this era. Additionally, several martial arts films produced in collaboration with Shaolin Temple and the United States, which featured Reverse Root Water Mirror as a major theme, became hits.”

“……”

Professor Sima Ling adjusted her glasses and her eyes sparkled.

“The film is titled <Invincible! The 108 Arhat Brigade>. The director is Jim Clorence, known for his long-take action. It seems fun enough, you might want to check it out. It pulled in over 200 million viewers just in the Great Bear Empire.”

“Uh… that doesn’t sound…”

“There’s also a sequel. It’s about the students of Luoyang University who have mastered the 108 Arhat Techniques fighting rabbit demons on the moon…”

“That movie is linked to your Luoyang University?!”

“…Oh, it’s not that I particularly like it… Either way, you should watch it.”

Somehow, Professor Sima Ling’s persuasive tone didn’t carry much weight, and I thought to myself.

“I should look further into it, but it seems like I need to start the search from the moment I was reborn after I die.”

Growing closer to finding Reverse Root Water Mirror seemed time-sensitive. If I searched in this future 500 years on, I could only come up with worthless outcomes, meaning the originals had already vanished. I contemplated.

The probability seemed slim, yet something urged me to believe that I would yield some results with this task.

After finishing my search for Reverse Root Water Mirror, I returned to where Lee Seol-pyo and Zhu Xian were. I then said.

“I’ll resume my training.”

Now, all that’s left is for Manga Realm or the Great Bear Empire to handle it. What I must do right now is acquire Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique!

However, about seven days after I resumed training, Cho Mu-rin, who had been observing my training, suddenly spoke.

“This feels strange.”

As I was refining Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven and Fog-shrouded Sky Royal Shadow 108 Techniques alongside Zhu Xian, I looked over at Cho Mu-rin. Since Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique was a connected form, it was better to focus on the basics first rather than continuous practice.

“What’s strange?”

“Baek Woong, you have something unusual within you. What in the world is that?”

“…Something unusual?”

“As I watch you train, I occasionally see your energy condensing into a sword form whenever you make large movements.”

What is he talking about?

I pondered over Cho Mu-rin’s words and suddenly it dawned on me.

So, I summoned the Immortal Sword to one hand.

“Is this what you mean?”

Cho Mu-rin nodded.

“I see now. You’ve learned the Immortal Sword Technique, right? Did you learn it from Yeodong-bin?”

“…I suppose so. Anyway, was the sword bothering me during training?”

“……”

I stammered, and Cho Mu-rin stared at the Immortal Sword and then said.

“Why not stop your martial arts training and focus on the Immortal Sword Technique, Baek Woong?”

“……? What do you mean?”

“It means exactly what I said.”

“I can’t just give up refining Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique since I haven’t fully mastered them, plus I still haven’t learned how to connect Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique! With this situation, how can it possibly make sense to learn other martial arts….”

In response, Cho Mu-rin calmly stated.

“You clearly have no talent, so it’s pointless. Even if you continued training for another ten years, it would just be mindless repetition. If you’ve memorized the basics, it’s time to explore another approach.”

“……!!”

Oh, no this jerk?!

I’ve been trying to keep that hidden!!

Panicking, I scanned the surroundings, and of course, Zhu Xian had heard Cho Mu-rin’s words. Fortunately, Lee Seol-pyo was currently off training his internal power near a waterfall and wasn’t here.

Zhu Xian wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned. Then he said to Cho Mu-rin.

“Haha, you’ve misunderstood, Elder!”

“What do you mean I’ve misunderstood?”

“Baek Woong is just pretending to have no talent while actually helping me train….”

In that moment, I felt like the whole world was crashing down on me.

I experienced the sensation of Zhu Xian and Lee Seol-pyo looking at me in horror and disdain, and I could only grit my teeth.

‘No!!’

I must stop this!

Absolutely No Absolute Realm

Intent Heavenly Pillar

A neck strike!

‘Faint, Zhu Xian!!’

I dashed forward with all my martial arts prowess, smacking the back of Zhu Xian’s neck to knock him out. It was my ultimate technique!

Bam!!

I felt the impact of Zhu Xian’s skull vibrating against my hand.

“……?”

Thud

Zhu Xian collapsed with a comical grin while Cho Mu-rin looked perplexed. I dragged Zhu Xian, propping him against a rock, and said to Cho Mu-rin.

“How did you figure out that I had no talent?”

“Did you seriously think you could train in front of a Thunder God Lineage member like me for seven days without being caught? That’s quite the lofty expectation.”

“Damn… You’re right. I have no talent. But does that mean I can improve by training the Immortal Sword Technique?”

“……”

Cho Mu-rin looked at me with a moment of disbelief.

“You’re not just lacking in talent; it seems you weren’t even meant to step foot in the martial world. How on earth did you reach Absolute Realm? Your understanding of the basics, application skills, and essence are all terrible, so what’s the point of training world-class martial skills?”

“…Ugh. I’ve heard that for decades. But I refuse to give up. I will keep trying until it’s possible.”

I scratched my ear and said to Cho Mu-rin.

“But I can’t abandon training Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. As you know, I can somehow implement the basic concepts up to the fourth level, but after that, it suddenly mentions how to divide the Thunder Soul into two.”

“Oh, really?”

“According to that, it means that just practicing Thunder God Divine Art alone won’t let me connect beyond the sixth level. Even when I asked Lee Seol-pyo, he said he can’t connect to anything beyond the sixth either, claiming he doesn’t understand its meaning.”

“That’s true.”

“If that’s the case, as the one who created Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, you must explain that line to me. I need a proper description from you.”

Then Cho Mu-rin coldly replied.

“It’s not a complex meaning. It just means that the Thunder Soul’s consumption increases tenfold from the sixth level onwards. To withstand that insane consumption, you need to double the outlet for the Thunder Soul.”

“Tenfold?!”

“Literally, unless you possess the boundless Thunder Energy of the Thunder Spirit, it can’t be executed. That’s all the explanation you need.”

“……”

How many times must I repeat my training in Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique in order to create that kind of energy?

It felt absurd, like trying to fill a river with water just from a bowl. I said to Cho Mu-rin.

“What kind of power will reaching the ninth level of Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique unleash?”

“Well, I didn’t create it with that in mind. The concept itself wasn’t even based on anything existing in the martial world.”

“……”

“I think this conversation has gone on long enough. Anyway, keep practicing Thunder God Divine Art and the Immortal Sword Technique. There doesn’t seem to be any meaning in attempting to refine the form of Thunder God Lineage martial arts anymore.”

Cho Mu-rin’s advice seemed seriously sincere.

“Thank you for the valuable advice.”

“Then I’ll go enjoy the scenery of this era’s mountains and trees for a bit.”

“……?! Where are you going?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m urgently needed for Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique right away. And….”

Cho Mu-rin muttered, suppressing his irritation with a pained expression.

“Seeing you with zero talent is enough to drive me crazy. If you hadn’t reached Absolute Realm, I wouldn’t have been able to suppress this annoyance. Even Zhu Xian’s talent fails to impress me.”

“……”

“I’m going to seek peace of mind. Don’t come looking for me.”

Swish!!

Cho Mu-rin transformed into spirit energy and vanished.

I stared at his figure and sighed.

“Right, sometimes it’s better when you’re not around to help me….”

Shortly after, Zhu Xian woke from his faint. He had a pained expression and asked.

“Ugh… Your Majesty, why did I lose consciousness?”

I looked at Zhu Xian with a worried expression.

“That rude Cho Mu-rin attacked you all of a sudden…. I had no choice but to faint you to save you.”

Zhu Xian was taken aback.

“What?! The Thunder God Lineage attacked me? Why?”

“Why should I care? I’ve never liked how he’d come back whining to me after getting beat up. Given how useless he is, it was probably bound to provoke some evil spirit within him.”

“…….”

“That’s just how fickle our ancestors can be.”

While venting out my frustrations now that Cho Mu-rin wasn’t here, I felt a refreshing sense of relief.

“Hmmm… Is that so….”

“Anyway, from now on, I’ll focus solely on the Thunder God Divine Art and abandon the other forms of training. I’ll also be working on the Immortal Sword Technique.”

“Ah, understood.”

At that moment, I noticed Lee Seol-pyo approaching after finishing his internal power training. I informed Lee Seol-pyo about my decision to switch to the Immortal Sword Technique, and he nodded agreeably.

“Anything for the elder’s wishes…”

“Be sure to keep an eye on Zhu Xian’s training for me.”

“Got it.”

I clenched my fist.

“Alright!”

It seemed like this was my first proper training in Immortal Sword Technique.

Let’s hone the Thunder God Divine Art and Immortal Sword Technique to raise the levels needed to face the coming end of this era!